Post by TheShadow on May 8, 2007 17:27:01 GMT -5
www.nbcsports.com/
By Jon Ackerman
Does the NFL ever rest? Aren't Peyton Manning's shoes still drying out from the Super Bowl?
Guess not. The beast that is the NFL draft is over, meaning the off-season is over. The first of too many mandatory/voluntary mini-camps opened last week.
So what better time to commence the nitpicking of the NFL's newest class? To get their forever-under-the-microscope careers underway, we give you five rookies already with something to prove, and five others already with the figurative chip on their shoulder:
Something to prove
JaMarcus Russell, Oakland, QB from Louisiana State
The first pick in the draft, the first one to get scrutinized. To say he has a little pressure to perform is to say Al Davis isn't popular. But look at it this way: Raiders quarterbacks threw seven touchdowns, 24 picks and were sacked 72 times last season. That's not hard to improve upon. If he finds a way to four wins, he doubles their win total. Not that that will ease the pressure, though.
Ted Ginn Jr., Miami, WR from Ohio State
Ten wide receivers have been chosen among the top 10 in the past five drafts. Not one pick had to be justified by the team's head coach like this: "You're gonna be thrilled every time you watch him as a punt returner. He's gonna be a great returner for us." That was Dolphins coach Cam Cameron explaining the selection to booing fans in Miami. The next news the team delivered: Ginn might not be ready for camp.
Brandon Meriweather, New England, S from Miami
"Class" has been synonymous with the Patriots organization ever since Tom Brady was seen taking his offensive linemen out on dates with him. That same word, minus the first two letters, would describe how Meriweather acted at times last season. He stomped to the forefront of the infamous Miami-Florida International fracas, which came three months after he shot at someone who shot his roommate. Both were acts of defending a teammate but both were acts your normal 22-year-old wouldn't fathom. Something says he'll be under a watchful eye with the NFL's new conduct policy.
Chris Henry, Tennessee, RB from Arizona
Besides the same name as a notorious Bengals hooligan, Henry possesses all the important components teams were looking for: speed, size, strength, desire. Yet he couldn't rush for 1,000 yards in college -- during his entire career. He surpassed the 100-yard mark in just one collegiate game, then left school a year early, after starting only six games in three years. So why did the Titans use the 50th overall pick on him? Because the 6-0, 228-pounder marveled scouts with a 4.4-second 40-yard dash and 26 reps on the 225-pound bench press at the NFL Combine. Tennessee just hopes that translates where it didn't in college.
Marcus Thomas, Denver, DT from Florida
Right with Meriweather on a short leash will be Thomas, who was kicked off last year's championship team because of two failed drug tests. He claims all news will be positive news once in the pros, but he will have a familiar friend with him in Denver: Florida teammate Jarvis Moss, who was also suspended last season (one game) for a failed drug test. These guys will be high in Denver, but the Broncos hope it's just off the altitude.
Chip on shoulder
Brady Quinn, Cleveland, QB from Notre Dame
Quinn is keen on making goals, yet he hasn't fared too well at achieving them. He made it known that he aspired to win a national title at Notre Dame, claim the Heisman Trophy and become the NFL draft's No. 1 overall pick. He went 0-3 in bowl games, could manage only the Maxwell Award, and plummeted to pick No. 22. The chip on Quinn's shoulder is as big as the ego of Cleveland's favorite son: LeBron James.
Dwayne Jarrett, Carolina, WR from Southern California
In three years at USC, Jarrett averaged 72 catches, 1,046 yards and 13.6 touchdowns. What did that get him? The honor of being the eighth receiver selected. Jarrett figured he was a first-rounder, but fell to the 45th overall pick. And now he must fight off the unfavorable comparisons to Mike Williams, the last prolific wideout to come out of USC. A 2005 Top-10 pick, Williams, who was traded from Detroit to Oakland on draft weekend, has just 449 yards and two TDs in two seasons. Throw in the occasional Jarrett-Keyshawn Johnson comparison and this kid needs to be sent to Europe if he isn't motivated to prove people wrong.
Troy Smith, Baltimore, QB from Ohio State
Last year's Heisman Trophy winner, Smith was taken 174th overall, the lowest slot for a Heisman winner since Gino Torretta went 192nd in 1992 (not including the undrafted Jason White and Charlie Ward). And Smith was selected by the Ravens, who made it clear he'd be QB No. 3 behind starter Steve McNair and 2003 top pick Kyle Boller. It's not like Heisman duds are common, though, right?
Michael Bush, Oakland, RB from Louisville
Bush is the classic case in favor of leaving college early for the pros. Lauded at the time for staying in school, Bush broke his right leg in the first game of his senior season, one year after leading the nation in scoring (144 points) and setting a school record with 23 touchdowns. "I got a chip on my shoulder because guys were scared to take a risk with just a broken leg," he said. And not only did he slip to the fourth round, the Raiders were the team that saved him.
David Ball, Chicago, WR from New Hampshire
It's tough to argue why a Division I-AA wide receiver should've been drafted over guys like Dallas Baker (Florida) and Jordan Kent (Oregon), but when he did something better than Jerry Rice, you make a decent case. Last year, Ball surpassed Rice's Division I-AA record for touchdown receptions, finishing his career with 58. But last weekend, he wasn't even the best player on his team, as teammate Corey Graham was a fifth-rounder to the Bears, the team that later signed Ball as a free agent. He now only needs 208 touchdowns to break Rice's NFL record.